Aquaculture Production

Support of the Virginia Aqua-Farmers Network helps increase grower-member participation

Relevance: Virginia's economically important agriculture sectors continually search for improved production techniques and crop diversification. The Virginia Aqua-Farmers Network (VAN) represents a unique opportunity for expanding production in Virginia at the small-farmer level.

Our response: Extension faculty members serve on the Virginia Tobacco Commission’s Aquaculture Oversight Committee for the VAN Cost-Share Program. This program was developed to enhance VAN grower-member production infrastructure. Through the committee, VAN proposals to enhance production capacities are reviewed and recommendations for funding and/or improvements are made. Faculty members conducted VAN member-grower onsite assistance with production system designs, grow-out, and marketing, and they are developing best management practices. These BMPs are important for enhancing environmental, production, and economic viability for the farmers and for maximizing consumer safety of the seafood products raised and sold. AREC faculty members conducted a workshop to enhance farmer knowledge in the areas of pond construction and management, recirculating aquaculture production systems, water quality and chemistry, live-fish hauling and transport, and aquaponics. Faculty members are in the process of developing VAN-specific BMPs for member-growers. This training is scheduled for spring 2011, with an emphasis on production quality, sustainability, and consumer safety. Assistance was provided for freshwater prawn harvest, post-harvest handling, and value-added processing.

The results: VAN membership rose almost 10 percent in 2010. At this time, VAN sales estimates for 2010 are not available; however, projections are for sales increases among all species over 2009 levels.

Extension specialists, researchers, and staff: Michael Hans Schwarz, David Crosby, Brian Nerrie, Daniel E. Kauffman, Michael Jahncke, David Kuhn, and Lori Marsh